Headdress (Igi Gelede)
Mid- to late 20th century
Fagbite Asamu (active late 19th/mid-20th century) or Falola Edun (active early/mid-20th century) Yoruba Nigeria Coastal West Africa
Nigeria
This dynamic mask of the gelede type depicts two hunters wrestling with a pangolin (or scaly anteater), representing the struggle between civilization and nature, human intelligence and animal force. The figures are shown grabbing the mammal by its back legs but also seem to be losing their balance and giving the pangolin a chance to escape. The dramatic tension of this mask’s upper section presents a sharp contrast to the serene human face below.
Wood and pigment